Car-coupling.



J. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. 1914.

1,148,022. Patented July 27, 1915.

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L llg li hilmiiumfi COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-,WASNINGTON| D C.

J. KELSD.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. 19M.

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' uni srn'rns aru u JOSEPH KELSO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MCCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed July 14, 1914. Serial No. 850,948.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, JOSEPH Knnso, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to the construction of car couplers and is more especially directed to the provision of simple and compact mechanism for actuating the locking devices and the device for opening the pivoted knuckle.

It is the object of the invention to provide for the purposes indicated means which shall be excellently suited for incorporation in couplers that are primarily designed for application to passenger cars, although it is to be understood that my invention is'not limited in its application to passenger car couplers.

lhe invention, in its several aspects, involves the combination with a coupler head and pivoted knuckle, of a suitable vertically movable lock having a laterally extending projection which is adapted to engage and actuate a'device for rotating the knuckle to open position, a knuckle opening lever which is pivotally mounted upon the knuckle side of the coupler head below the knuckle, a lever which is pivotally mounted upon the coupler head on the knuckle side thereof and which is adapted to engage the lock and to extend into a recess formed in'the latter adjacent to the projection for actuating the knuckle opening device, a horizontally r0- tatable lever pivotally mounted on the coupler head, anda link which loosely connects said last named lever with the lever by which the lock is engaged and actuated.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of acoupler embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section, of the coupler illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken on the line 38, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the lock in side elevation; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the lock in front elevation, and, Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation illustrating a modification of the invention especially adapted for use with laterally extending reciprocating release rigging devices.

The form of coupler head 1 illustrated in Figs. land 2 of the drawings is a well known type with which passenger cars are equipped. It 18 provided with a knuckle 2 with, which it is pivotally connected by means of a knuckle pin 3. Outward rotation of the knuckle 2 is preferably restrained by means of a vertically movable lock 4 which is slidably mounted in the coupler head. The lower portion of the lock 4 is provided with a laterally extending pr0jection 5 which, when the lock 4 is raised above its unlocked position, is adapted to engage and cause the rotation of a knuckle opening device 6. The knuckle opening device is preferably fashioned as a bent lever which is pivotally mounted on the knuckle side of v the coupler head and below the knuckle by means of the pivot pin 7 that is rigidly secured to the head, the lever 6 being preferably ,maintained in properassembled positionon the said pivot pin by means of a cotter 8. The upper end of the knuckle opener lever 6 engages the rear face'of the tail of the knuckle 2 and is adapted to press outwardly upon-the tail of the knuckle to cause an unlocking rotation thereof in the, well known manner.

Pivotally mounted upon the knuckle side of the coupler head and extending beneath the latter is an upwardly movable lever 9 by means of which the lock 4 may be caused to assume an unlocked position. The inner end of the pivoted lever 9 preferably eX- tends into a laterally opening recess. 10 near the lower end of the lock and it is also pref-- of the pivot pin 13 forming the pivotal connection of the coupler head 1 to the central coupler stem 14, is a horizontally rotatable lever 15. This lever 15 is loosely connected to the upwardly movable lever 9 by means of a link 16, the said link, as shown, being preferably formed at its ends with eyes or apertures which are adapted to receive corresponding pins or pintles 17 and 18 that may be conveniently formed as integral parts of their respective levers 9 and 15.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Fig. 7 the upwardly movable lever 19 which actuates the lock 20 is shown as provided with integrally attached arms 21 and 22, respectively, forming means whereby the lock engaging lever 19 may be actuated from the sides of the car through the instrumentality of laterally extending reciprocating release rigging devices. In this form of construction'it will be found convenient to pivotally attach the lever 19 to the coupler head by means of a pivot pin 23 which passes through similar lugs 24: that project outwardly from the knuckle side of the coupler head 25. The portion of the lock 20 which extends below the coupler head is preferably of substantially the same construction as that heretofore described, being recessed to receive the inner end of the upwardly movable lever 19 and being formed with a shoulder 26 corresponding in function to the lever-engaging shoulder 12 illustrated in the principalfigures of thedrawings.

The construction being substantially such as described, the operation of the devices will be as follows: Upon rotating the lever 15 horizontally in the proper direction, the link 16 causes the lever 9 to rotate upwardly until its inner end comes into engagement with the upper wall of the recess 10 in the lock 4. The continued upward rotation of the lever 9 first raises the lock 1 to a height sufiicient to permit the knuckle 2 to rotate to open position. Thereafter, the continued and extended upward movement of the lock 1 causes the laterally extending projection 5 at the lower end thereof to engage the knuckle opening lever 6 and rotate the same outwardly on its pivot pin 7 thus opening the knuckle 2.

I claim:

1. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler having a head and pivoted knuckle, of a lock for said knuckle having a recess and a shoulder adjacent to said recess, and a lever pivotally mounted on the coupler for actuating the lock, said lever Copies of this patent may be obtained for having its pivotal point above said shoulder and having a portion extending into said recess and being adapted to wedgingly engage said shoulder, whereby said lock'is pre-- vented from accidentally moving to unlocked position.

2' In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler ,head and pivoted knuckle, of a vertically movable lock for said knuckle, a lever for engaging and actuating said look, a horizontally rotatable lever mounted upon the coupler head, and a link pivotally connected to said levers.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head and pivoted knuckle, of a vertically slidable lock for said knuckle, an upwardly movable lever pivotally mounted on the under side of the coupler head and said levers.

5. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head and pivoted knuckle, of a vertically slidable lock for said knuckle, and a lever for actuating said lock, said lever being pivotally mounted upon the knuckle side of the coupler head and extending beneath the same, and said lock being formed with a recess which is adapted to receive a portion of said lever and being also provided with a shoulder, which is adapted upon an accidental unlocking movement of said lock to engage said lever and prevent the latter from moving to unlocked position to thereby prevent said lock from accidentally assuming an unlocked position. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH KELSO.

Witnesses:

FRANCES L. SPRAGUE, F. D. ECKER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

